garrettm's 187g In-Wall Build

[garrettm]

I am way behind posting for this build. So much has happened since I have had time to sit down and make a current post. I have added fish, some coral, went a different route on some of my original equipment projects. I will try to summarize as much as I can in the next posts.

Lighting:

The light rack was completed for both the frag tank/lagoon and the main display. I am running 4 t5s and 5 kessils on the display and 3 kessils and 2 t5s over the frag/lagoon.

<a href="http://s1219.photobucket.com/user/gmitch72/media/In%20Wall/02BBE3D5-F641-4723-81DB-B75D9A86BB35.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd427/gmitch72/In%20Wall/02BBE3D5-F641-4723-81DB-B75D9A86BB35.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 02BBE3D5-F641-4723-81DB-B75D9A86BB35.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1219.photobucket.com/user/gmitch72/media/In%20Wall/F4377DFA-96E1-4BED-9341-7EC325DEA060.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd427/gmitch72/In%20Wall/F4377DFA-96E1-4BED-9341-7EC325DEA060.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo F4377DFA-96E1-4BED-9341-7EC325DEA060.jpg"/></a>

filtration/sump:

The 4" holes we made for the filter socks have been working great! it is so easy to swap them all out with fresh ones.

The Skimz Skimmer has been working great so far pulling lots of gunk out of the water. It took me a week or two to dial it in but I believe that is pretty normal.

<a href="http://s1219.photobucket.com/user/gmitch72/media/In%20Wall/090AAC71-67E8-4401-9A73-0C29C48F8244.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd427/gmitch72/In%20Wall/090AAC71-67E8-4401-9A73-0C29C48F8244.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 090AAC71-67E8-4401-9A73-0C29C48F8244.jpg"/></a>

I originally went with 3 skimz reactors. Two small for carbon and GFO and one big for biopellets. It ended up that the big wasn't working too well for the biopellets so I just switched to two. High capacity GFO and Carbon ROX 0.8 from BRS in one and biopelltes in the other.

I also had to replace the manifold because some of the valves were leaking and i didn't put an option for a chiller or the ability to shut off the whole manifold.

<a href="http://s1219.photobucket.com/user/gmitch72/media/In%20Wall/6D1853BC-5DE6-4392-8189-FBD7992F2B0D.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd427/gmitch72/In%20Wall/6D1853BC-5DE6-4392-8189-FBD7992F2B0D.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 6D1853BC-5DE6-4392-8189-FBD7992F2B0D.jpg"/></a>

 

[Blaker]

Tank looks good I like the rock work and coral placement

 

[CafeReef]

Awesome setup. Really clean

 

[Rtankster]

sorry to hear about Bott the cat.

 

[garrettm]

Tank looks good I like the rock work and coral placement

thanks!

Awesome setup. Really clean

Thank you. I always feel like it can get cleaner, it's a curse, really.

sorry to hear about Bott the cat.

Thank you. We do miss him a lot. But, we don't waste any time...Meet Neptune!!

<a href="http://s1219.photobucket.com/user/gmitch72/media/In%20Wall/e89b6f84-8c35-4d8f-846a-b40233183a32.png.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd427/gmitch72/In%20Wall/e89b6f84-8c35-4d8f-846a-b40233183a32.png" border="0" alt=" photo e89b6f84-8c35-4d8f-846a-b40233183a32.png"/></a>

 

[garrettm]

Now that I have had everything up an running for some time (since May) I started to add fish a couple months ago, it has just been hard trying to find the time to post.

STOCKING LIST:

Inverts:
30-40: Trochus Snail (now breading in the tank)
40-50: Hermits assorted
2: Fighting Conch
3: Sand Sifting Stars
1: Halloween Urchin
1: Cleaner Shrimp

Coral:
Octospawn
Bi-color Hammer
assorted species of Acropora (will post some pictures)

Fish:
Lavender Tang
Spotted Kole Tang
Six-Line Wrasse
Orchid Dotty Back
Yellow Watchman Goby
Lawnmower Blenny
Tail-Spot Blenny
6 Bartlett's Anthias

 

[garrettm]

Over the last week I have seen some algae start to grow on the lower half of the tank. It was about time to change the GFO and carbon so I did that last weekend and did a nice cleaning of the glass and tried to blow as much algae off the rocks as I could.

Well now there is a full on outbreak in the display tank. The first thing I thought of was to pull the corals from the display, since they weren't stuck in yet, and starve the algae of light for a few weeks to see if that helps.

I also did a roughly 40 gallon water change last night before I moved the corals to the frag tank.

Water change happening:

<a href="http://s1219.photobucket.com/user/gmitch72/media/In%20Wall/55BCD5C7-D3BF-40C7-A912-E9CB2B003FFD.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd427/gmitch72/In%20Wall/55BCD5C7-D3BF-40C7-A912-E9CB2B003FFD.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 55BCD5C7-D3BF-40C7-A912-E9CB2B003FFD.jpg"/></a>

Some really blue corals: (iphone takes some funky pictures under LEDs)

<a href="http://s1219.photobucket.com/user/gmitch72/media/In%20Wall/920598B3-8BFF-4B03-B4A6-5856318593DA.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd427/gmitch72/In%20Wall/920598B3-8BFF-4B03-B4A6-5856318593DA.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 920598B3-8BFF-4B03-B4A6-5856318593DA.jpg"/></a>

 

[garrettm]

Well things got ugly around christmas.... i had a massive algae bloom that turned the water milky, made my skimmer go crazy, and as a result all SPS has suffered greatly and only a few are hanging on. My softies and LPS are still doing somewhat well.

My refugium was split in two, one side with fiji mud and cheato, the other side with rock rubble. I noticed the cheato side was growing some strange looking algae but when I looked at the rock side (no lights, very low flow) I saw this clear slime algae that I have never seen before. I shut off the tank immediately and started to clean it out.

I also took the last two nights to take apart my skimmer and reactors to give them a deep clean. I have done 2 50 gallon water changes over the last few days.

Things are looking a lot better in the tank as far as clarity goes. I moved the gyres around a bit an noticed three seems to be some pretty significant dead spots that are harboring algae and detritus. I might need to get some more flow in the tank..... Maybe 2 more gyres so each side has alternating vertical and horizontal flow.

Here is my current situation......

<a href="http://s1219.photobucket.com/user/gmitch72/media/In%20Wall/7133FC3B-AF75-4DD0-B684-44970381D96D.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd427/gmitch72/In%20Wall/7133FC3B-AF75-4DD0-B684-44970381D96D.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 7133FC3B-AF75-4DD0-B684-44970381D96D.jpg"/></a>

- I have removed substrate from refugium (might reuse this to plant some mangroves outside)

- Rock has been removed from Refugium and I will use the hospital tank to cook it for a couple weeks.

- What to do with the fuge? Currently it is separated in the middle what are my options?

1. Remove the baffle in the middle. Make this one giant fuge with cheato,probably bare bottom, good amount of flow. I would then get a couple marine pure ceramics for biological filtration.
2. Keep the baffle, bare bottom. Up the flow on each side, add an inlet to the rock side for increased flow.
3. Remove from system. Add Marine Pure biological filtration to sump. Run no chaeto.
4. Give me any other options!!! I need some ideas and advice!!!




PS...also got married and went to Tahiti for the honeymoon:bounce2:

<a href="http://s1219.photobucket.com/user/gmitch72/media/In%20Wall/949F5581-DF5E-4982-85B4-C120FF77C492.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd427/gmitch72/In%20Wall/949F5581-DF5E-4982-85B4-C120FF77C492.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 949F5581-DF5E-4982-85B4-C120FF77C492.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1219.photobucket.com/user/gmitch72/media/In%20Wall/0C9027F2-F1D9-4AF5-BD4B-BE42FB9CCB88.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd427/gmitch72/In%20Wall/0C9027F2-F1D9-4AF5-BD4B-BE42FB9CCB88.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 0C9027F2-F1D9-4AF5-BD4B-BE42FB9CCB88.jpg"/></a>

 

[dave.m]

Why not just re-arrange things so there are no rocks near the sides and lots of clear channels between the rocks in the centre? Keep refugiums separate from the sump so that you can shut them down/change them without affecting the main system. More flow in both display and refugiums might help. More maintenance to clear detritus from display and all utility tanks. Filter socks if you aren't already using them. There's probably lots you can do without any major restructuring of your current set-up.

Dave.M

 

[garrettm]

Thanks for the response Dave! I do already have filter socks running on the system but to accomplish some of the other suggestions I ended up doing some pretty big changes to the setup after doing a lot of reading and really thinking about the schedule I would like to have for maintenance. I am sure I can speak for most people but my least favorite part of maintaining a reef is clearing detritus from rocks and algae from glass. Hence my inclination to save this step to last I decided to ditch the refugium/live rock holding tank. Even though I am losing about 50 gallons of water volume these are some of the major reasons I decided to do so.

1) Less maintenance cleaning the fuge and keeping the rocks clean.

2) I can now dedicate more flow to the display with my return pump. This means I won't need two pumps for this system (since I just recently switched to a waveline DC1200 for the energy savings)

3) I plan on giving Zeovit a try in the future and it is suggested not to run macro algae.

4) Free up more room to put in storage drawers for equipment and miscellaneous tank maintenance items. Also moved the chiller to under this stand to free up other space around the display.



<a href="http://s1219.photobucket.com/user/gmitch72/media/In%20Wall/62c15d41-5b2d-4d23-8f13-0084313d6fdb.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd427/gmitch72/In%20Wall/62c15d41-5b2d-4d23-8f13-0084313d6fdb.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 62c15d41-5b2d-4d23-8f13-0084313d6fdb.jpg"/></a>


I also made some changes to the plumbing to free up some space around the sump. I moved the manifold to be on the return line to the frag and lagoon tanks. I still need to clean up some wires...it's looking a little messy.

Eventually I will use some ceramic blocks in the last section of the sump and build a nice little cage out of egg crate for live rock rubble to give those tiny critters a place to hide and repopulate.

<a href="http://s1219.photobucket.com/user/gmitch72/media/In%20Wall/D8E3136A-EFBD-4E56-89F7-B7603EE9F608.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd427/gmitch72/In%20Wall/D8E3136A-EFBD-4E56-89F7-B7603EE9F608.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo D8E3136A-EFBD-4E56-89F7-B7603EE9F608.jpg"/></a>


I also did some rock rearranging in the display. I didn't like how sudden the rock on the right side jutted up and how close it was to the front panel of the display. I tried to move things back a bit by making the right side more of a gradual slope to the back of the tank. I don't necessarily like it a ton right now but once I get some SPS on there it should look like a nice garden of acros climbing up the slope.

<a href="http://s1219.photobucket.com/user/gmitch72/media/In%20Wall/B2DCE0A7-48C0-4E66-A380-AC6CCCC438E0.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd427/gmitch72/In%20Wall/B2DCE0A7-48C0-4E66-A380-AC6CCCC438E0.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo B2DCE0A7-48C0-4E66-A380-AC6CCCC438E0.jpg"/></a>

 

[winwar]

Any photo on your setup?

 

[garrettm]

Any photo on your setup?

Hello winwar. What are you interested in seeing. My previous posts have most of the setup. My only recent changes are the shelving and moving he manifold pictured in the precious post.

I do realize that the last picture was appalling....I only have an iPhone for pictures at he moment.

 

[EagleI]

Nicely done and congrats on your marriage! I'm from LA and had a really solid experience with Visio in the past. How was the experience with your tank maker? Looking to expand my options for my next build.

 

[garrettm]

wow....ALOT has happened since I've posted here. Many mistakes causing many changes but the tank is doing much much better. I also realized a very personal lesson. I have ants in my pants constantly; wanting to change things constantly and always have my hands working on something. As you all probably know, not the best ailment to have in this hobby.

Moving along...here is a list of things that have changed since the last update:

LIGHTING CHANGES

OLD - Removed all Kessils (except on over what I had been calling the lagoon tank)
NEW - Display now has 2 x 400w halides and 4 t5 supplements lighting is now suitable for some serious SPS

OLD - 2 Kessil's over the frag tank
NEW - 8 buld t5 retrofit built lighting rack.

FLOW CHANGES
OLD - 2 gyres
NEW - Added 2 Jabeo RW15 and kept 2 gyres....left side runs for 5 minutes with a gyre and jabeo and then the right side. All pumps at 100%. Flow is now suitable for some serious SPS

OLD - Gyre in Frag tank
NEW - 3 Jabeo RW-8

OLD - Reeflo Return PUmp
NEW - Waveline DC12000. Split to only two retruns on the display on a 1" SCWD, and supplying the rest of the system.

WATER CHEMISTRY CHANGES

OLD - Mixing Salt Water (Red Sea Pro Reef)
NEW - Mixing Salt Water Reef Crystals

OLD - Dosing Calcium, Alk, and Mag
NEW - Calcium Reactor

OLD - GFO Biopellets and Carbon
NEW - Running very little carbon

HOSPITAL/QT
Added three 20 gallon tanks as a qt setup.
Hospital tank is under the "Lagoon/Frag Tank"

Biggest lesson learned here is to keep it simple. I tried to over complicate this build when all I really needed to do was run the basics to make it easy on me. Halides and T5s just go on and off, no messing with ramping, intensity, and color settings. Calcium reactor is essentially set it and forget it with little adjustments every week.

Some Pictures to Follow......
Along with an updated fish list.

 

[truepercs]

When are those pictures coming?

 

[garrettm]

It's been a long time coming.

Back in March I suffered from a battle with Marine Velvet.I pulled all of the fish I could when they started dropping and moved to the QT system to treat with copper. Lost everything except for a blue tang and a long nose hawk. About 20 fish were lost.

As a result I have had no fish in the system for the last 90 days and just last week I put the blue tang and longnose hawk back in. This was a huge disappointment although during this time I was able to collect some coral

This all brings us to today with an update on how things are going. Currently there are three fish in the system. The blue tang, long nose hawk, and a tomini tang. Also there are maybe 20 different SPS and LPS frags scattered around the tank that are all doing great.

I had a local reefer friend come over to help me dial in the calcium reactor and now my levels are stable where I like them with ALK around 8.5.

I have two fish in the QT right now. A yellow tang and a black scopas (probably one of my favorite fish) 30 copper treatment will start this morning as with any future fish that will be going into the system.

 

[d-man]

Nice Garrett. Where did you get that awesome scopas hybrid....?

 

[garrettm]

Nice Garrett. Where did you get that awesome scopas hybrid....?

A very reliable local source. Thanks again man! The scopas is looking really good and a nice size. I'll feed him a little more though since you said he looked a little thin today

 

[rvareef]

sweet system, get those ants out of your pants!

 

[leslie hempel]

pictures or it dident happen